In November 2016, SIAPS offered technical assistance to DPMED to optimize the current medicine registration system, potentially by using the web-based medicine registration tool Pharmadex. After the assessment at DPMED in August 2017, SIAPS found that the SIGIP-ARP system in place was a software recommended for the regional West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) member states and was preferred by DPMED. Hence, it was jointly resolved to strengthen the system already in place. A server room was setup and a rack server installed to hold the current and any other future systems for DPMED (e.g., inspection software). SIGIP-ARP was modified to improve its performance, which has enabled DPMED to do concurrent data entry of registration applications. DPMED is currently progressing on this task, and SIGIP-ARP can generate monitoring reports, which the director can use for management purposes. DPMED has yet to develop monitoring and evaluation indicators to track the data entry.

SIAPS supported the Swaziland Ministry of Health (MOH) in mobilizing key stakeholders from the Swaziland National AIDS Program and the National Tuberculosis Control Program to introduce and implement an active surveillance system for patients on ARVs and anti-TB treatment. SIAPS provided technical assistance to MOH’s National Pharmacovigilance Unit (NPVU) to develop the protocol and tools to implement the system, as well as to develop a system for recruiting patients at the HIV and TB sites.

SIAPS technical support has helped strengthen the capacity of the national registration committee and streamline medicines registration. As a result, the number of registered medicines has increased from 200 in 2010 to over 3,000 in 2014; 72% of the medicines included on DRC’s essential medicines list currently have at least one product registered, up from 44% in 2011. The backlog of applications has been completely eliminated and the time taken to process a new application has been reduced from a peak of 85 days in 2013 to 64 days at the end of 2014.

The purpose of this document is to provide guidance to program managers in ministries of health at national and sub-national levels as well as personnel in other interested organizations on actions to take and factors to consider when expanding access to essential RMNCH commodities. While this document focuses on RMNCH medicines and supplies, it may be used as a guiding document and planning tool for other essential medicines and supplies. This guide addresses several pharmaceutical management issues (pharmaceutical policies, effective medicine management, strengthening regulatory systems, information needs, and product quality and safety practices) that are often overlooked when considering the introduction of new products. The systems strengthening approach described in this document focuses on governance, human resources, information systems, financing, and service delivery, with the provision of medical products cutting across these sub-systems. The goal of this guidance document is to assist managers to systematically plan for the successful introduction of new medicines and supplies by harmonizing and aligning efforts among all stakeholders involved in the process.

The Ministry of Health (Ministério da Saúde; MINSA)’s National Directorate of Medicines and Equipment (Direccao Nacional de Medicamentos e Equipamentos; DNME) is responsible for regulating medicines and other pharmaceutical products in Angola in collaboration with the Inspectorate General of Health (Inspecção-Geral da Saúde; IGS). Preliminary reports indicated that the regulatory system was not fully functional or operating effectively and thus needed assistance.

As a first step toward providing technical support and identifying additional sources of assistance to strengthen the regulatory system, the USAID-funded Systems for Improved Access to Pharmaceuticals and Services (SIAPS) Program, which has been providing support to the DNME since 2005 in pharmaceutical management, particularly supply chain management, conducted an assessment of the system and DNME’s capacity to implement it.

Pharmacies that serve health clinics located in tropical areas need infrastructure that will help lower their inside air temperature.

It is very important that medicines are stored below 30°C, remembering that certain medicines must be stored at temperatures below 25°C. Higher temperatures tend to change medicine quality, which can make them less effective.

This guide provides instruction on simple and inexpensive modifications of pharmacy stores to reduce the inside air temperature by up to 4°C.